During his World Human Rights Day speech on December 10, 2012 marking the launch of another human rights watch dog in Jamaica, the country’s Justice Minister, the Honorable Mark Golding claimed that recognizing the human rights of LGBT is a Western concept which Jamaica may be forced to accept or face financial sanction.

While this statement is great politics, it is, of course patently false.

First, homosexuality has been identified in over 1500 animal species, however in no other species besides humans are gay members attacked.

Gay rights campaigners demanded an end to Jamaican ant-gay hate in protest held in front of the country's consulate in New York.

They also demanded the goverment of Jamaica tackles growing homophobia and repeal the country's anti-gay laws.

The protest was held yesterday (19 November 19) and was precipitated by a brutal attack against a gay student by security guards of the University of Technology, Jamaica.

Two young men were attacked and brutally beaten by a mob of onlookers, and security officers of a Jamaican university.

Gay Star News have received unconfirmed preliminary reports from Jamaica that yesterday evening (1 November) two young men were caught having sex in the toilets at the University of Technology (U-Tech) Jamaica.

According to the reports, they were spotted and captured by a mob.

The Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-sexuals & Gays (J-FLAG) – a charity organisation, was forced to close down the Caribbean island state’s only drop-in centre for homeless gays which it managed with the Jamaica Aids Support (JAS) organization.

The announcement was made by a J-FLAG representative at a recent meeting in Jamaica's capital, Kingston.

Full details of the ‘Love March’ for ‘sexual purity’ in Jamaica on Saturday (15 September) have now emerged and, as Gay Star News predicted, the main focus of the event was to attack homosexuality.

The only LGBT group known to be in attendance were Anti-Gay Fact Check (AGFC) who followed the march from its start at Hope Gardens to its end in Mandela Park at Half Way Tree. None of the leading state or independent media was present.

Anti-gay Christians in Jamaica are holding a ‘Love March’ this weekend to combat ‘porn, fornication and homosexuality’.

Hundreds of teenagers and young adults are expected to take to the streets of the Corporate Area of the Jamaican capital, Kingston, with participants coming from various schools, churches and professions marching for ‘sexual purity’.

It will start at Hope Gardens at 9.30am on Saturday (15 September) and culminate in a short concert at Mandela Park in Half Way Tree.

This week I attended one of many events organized by the Glasgow African-Caribbean Centre to mark fifty years of independence for Jamaica. The event was a debate to discuss the contribution that Jamaica has made to the world as an independent nation, and would Scotland be better if it was also independent?

I believe in independence. I think it’s the normal thing for a country to be, so I was naturally interested to find out what Jamaicans thought of their country’s independence half a century on.

Jamaican dancehall star Beenie Man has voiced his support for gay rights, despite finding fame with songs inciting homophobic violence.

'Let me make this clear and straight. I have nothing against no-one,' he said in a video statement.

'I respect each and every human being...regardless of sexual preference, including gay and lesbian people.'

The artist, otherwise known as Anthony Moses Davis, gained infamy with tracks featuring anti-gay lyrics such as 'Hang chi chi gal wid a long piece of rope' and 'Tek a bazooka and kill batty-fucker'.